Playing ball



July 13,, 1943- T. w. CASEY ETAL PLAYING BALL Filed May 9, 19:9

, IINVENTOR THOMAS W. CASEY &

WW I

ATTORNEY v Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLAYING BALL tion of Ohio Application May 9, 1939, Serial No. 272,572

1 Claim.

This invention relates to playing balls, and in particular relates to hollow rubber playing balls having irregular features on the surface thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide playing balls having irregular design features thereon, for example, in simulation of human or animal facial features, without materially aflecting the balance of the ball, whereby it will bounce, or fly 1through the air, along a substantially true pat These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawing.

Of the accompanying drawing:

. Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ball embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof as viewed from the left of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing the numeral I designates a hollow ball which may be formed by vulcanizing a sheet rubber biscuit or the like in a ball mold (not shown), in a known manner.

The mold cavities are designed so that during the vulcanizing process internal pressure will force portions of the wall of ball l0 into irregular, relatively shallow, recesses to form portions on the outer surface of the ball projecting sufliciently to provide the desired design. These projections may be formed to simulate the eyes H, H, nose l2, mouth I3, ears l4, l4, hair l5, etc., of the irregular features of the so-called man in the moon, substantially as shown. However, it is understood that other designs may be made to represent the features of animals, cartoon characbounced. The ball is formed as shown with walls thereof substantially uniform in thickness throughout, including the walls of the design features, so that there will be no substantial excess weight at any part of the ball to cause the same to be out of balance. The ball l0 may be inflated at a pressure sufficient for normal use of the balls, but insufficient to expand the walls thereof such an amount that it will flatten out or obliterate the design features. By substantially maintaining uniform wall thickness, thin portions will not be present which will be superinflated to destroy the desired design effect or the true-bouncing, true-flying characteristics of the ball.

Thus has been provided a, playing ball of the type described having irregular outwardly projecting design features thereon which do not materially affect or interfere with the true path or flight of the ball when it is bounced or thrown in the air.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A playing ball of the character described, comprising a hollow tightly inflated sphere of flexible vulcanized rubber or the like, the walls of said sphere having irregular design features projecting slightly therefrom in accordance with any predetermined irregular design, said design features merging smoothly with the general contour of said sphere, and the walls of said sphere being relatively thin but of substantially uniform thickness throughout, the projecting features of the design being capable of flexing and flattening out within the area of contact of the rubber wall of the ball when it strikes a surface, as when bounced, so that the rebound of the ball will be substantially that of a, true sphere.

THOMAS W. CASEY. ALBERT E. SDJNELL. 

